The Jungle Wolves
by NedeserThul
Summary: Sabine and Ahsoka are separated during their search for Ezra Bridger. After a nasty solar storm sent their ship careening to a crash landing on an unknown planet in the Unknown Regions, Sabine discovers a strange civilization led by the person she least expected to meet.
1. Chapter 1

**The Unknown Regions - On an Unknown World**

Sabine Wren slowly returned to consciousness with a groan. It took several long seconds for reality to set in and she groaned again. The solar storm, and the escape pod from their ship careening out of control all flashed through her mind. With a jerky motion, she hit the release for her escape pod's crash webbing and sat up. The good news was that only her head felt like it was splitting open. Everything else seemed fine. With a growl, she hit the exit hatch release - and nothing happened. "Blasted piece of space junk-" she snarled before slipping into a string of Mando'a, the language of her people, cursing her luck, the planet, the ship and everything else she could.

Fortunately, she knew how to get out if the emergency exit hatch was defunct. Taking a canister from the back of her belt and an aerosol sprayer, she put just a hint of highly explosive spray on the hinges and lock of the hatch. Then, after making sure that her helmet's sound dampeners were working at full capacity and backing as far away as the cramped escape pod would let her, she triggered the fluid. There was a series of loud pops and flashing light and the hatch fell outward with a dull thump.

Sabine grabbed the survival pack and climbed out of the pod. The world she was on, or at least the part she was in, was a tropical jungle. The air was muggy and humid and even smelled muggy and humid. She could hear the various fauna around her in the trees and shrubs, but none of them sounded familiar. Judging by the lengthening shadows, the sun was beginning to go down and she needed somewhere to rest during the hours of darkness. On jungle worlds like this one, no smart being stayed out in the open after dark.

It didn't take her too long to find a cave dug by some long-gone animal between the roots of a tree. It was large enough inside to be able to stretch all the way out. Sabine wasn't worried about being cold either since the weather was humid and muggy. In fact, she was temped to get out of her armor but that would be a mistake. If something came after her in the night, the extra protection would be important.

As she sat inside her cave, she took a pain killer for her aching head and used the medical scanner on herself, scanning her body from head to foot for everything from poison or internal bleeding to broken bones organ damage. When the scan was finished, Sabine sighed with relief. She had a minor concussion, nothing even remotely dangerous, and a few bruises but that was it. Feeling just a little bit better, she put the scanner back in the survival kit and pulled out a ration bar. Yanking off the wrapping, she began to eat it hungrily while digging for the water bottle that came in the pack as well.

It was well sealed and she opened it, drinking half of the water inside before capping it again. Somewhere out there, there had to be fresh watcher to drink but it could wait until tomorrow. Stretching out, she put her helmet beneath her head and pulled a small holograph emitter from her belt. Every night for four years, she had looked at the thing. Up from the tiny device came the grinning picture of her friend, Ezra Bridger. It was a very old one, way back when he had first joined the group. His blue-black hair was still long, and his face didn't have the parallel scars he had received from the Grand Inquisitor yet. The next still was of Ezra while he was next to Kanan, going through lightsaber forms together. He had gotten taller and just a little more muscular, though the kid would never be really big. He had a lean, wiry build, not a bulky one. Finally, the last picture of him appeared, with his close-cut hair and a far more serious look on his face than he had in the earlier days. Even so, there was a smile on his face. Even during the later years, he would still smile. It always helped her feel better about the situation.

Sabine sighed and closed down the device before murmuring to the darkness around her, "Hang in there, Ezra. I'll find you. But apparently, I need to find Ahsoka first."

She fervently hoped that the one-time Jedi Ahsoka Tano hadn't landed too far away. Either way, she'd start on that in the morning.

* * *

The following morning, she crawled out of her cave and drew herself up. Her head felt a whole lot better and in the full light of day, the jungle around didn't seem so imposing. After quickly checking her blasters and her gauntlets, she set out, heading up hill as much as possible and hoping to find a tall tree to climb or a clearing at the top of a hill, just to get her bearings. When the ground began to level out, she found a tree with branches she could reach and lowered her survival pack to the ground. It wasn't hard. Sabine was in superb shape and climbing trees like that one were far easier than the rock climbing and wall climbing she had excelled at during her training as a child.

When she had reached the highest she could without worrying about the branches being too thin, she pulled a set of microbanoculars and looked around. Far as far as the eye could see, there were trees. She was at the top a hill, looking down and all that she could see were trees. Birds and other avians flying species could be seen soaring over the canopy. Looking around, she noticed the sun, of course, and several very near moons. Over in the distance, she saw thin curls of smoke and a nasty gauge in the trees - most likely the crash site.

Quickly, she dropped to the jungle floor, grabbed the pack and went as fast as she could through the greenery. From the top of the tree, the crash looked closer than it had been. After running for three kilometers, she finally came to the wrecked ship. It had once been a beautiful Suwantek 1800 Freighter was now a smoking wreck of twisted durasteel. Sabine and Ahsoka had been forced to steal it shortly after their search began due to a run in with the remnants of the Empire.

Crawling over the wreckage, she found a way inside the shattered craft. It certainly didn't look good. The inside was a mess too. Wires were still sparking and in the background, she could hear the ships engine still humming, though it didn't sound very good. Hurry as best as she could to a computer station, she tried to power it up. Much to her shock and relief, it worked - kind of. The screen was flickering and dim.

As quickly as she could, she keyed through the ship's internal logs. It stated that the damage from the storm itself had been minimal, only knocking out the scanners and sensors and forcing the ship off track and into this unknown world's gravitational pull. Neither she nor Ahsoka were able to do anything about it in time. Luckily, two escape pods were jettisoned before the ship crashed.

Again, Sabine sighed in relief before pulling a Mandalorian Blaster Rifle from the locker as well as another survival pack. Once she had everything she could carry, she ran from the ship. She was less than a hundred meters away when the engine and the hyperdrive both went critical and the wreck exploded.

Sabine winced. She would either need to say close or get away fast. Unfortunately, she knew nothing about this world or if it even had any inhabitants. Looking around, she noticed that a tree had several branches she could keep watch from. Tying some cord to one of her survival packs, she climbed to the branches and sat down, pulling the pack up by the cord. The pack from the ship was far more complete than the pod's so she began pulling things like extra rations, medical supplies and the half-filled water bottle from the pod's pack and stuffing it into the extra pockets of the ship's survival pack. That done, she hung the pod's pack from several branches using the cord from her pack.

With everything reorganized, she decided that all she could do was wait. She pulled the pocket-computer out and activate the recording rod that came with it. "This is Sabine Wren of Clan Viszla, day one after myself and Ahsoka Tano crash-landed on this unknown planet in the Unknown Regions. This planet wasn't on any of the limited charts we had of the Unknown Regions. I don't recognize any of the flora or the sounds of any of the fauna. There are a lot of unknowns here. I don't know where Ahsoka is, only that her escape pod was jettisoned. Wherever she is, I'm sure she's alright. She was a Jedi after all and the things they can do are incredible. Anyhow, I've gotten a survival pack from our ship - right before it exploded - and am now set to wait and see if anyone or anything is drawn here by the explosion. If nothing else, I'm hoping that I can find some kind of civilization and they can help me find Ahsoka so we can keep looking for Ezra."

Her throat tightened and she worked to clear it before saying, "I'll keep this updated as I go, but that's all I have for now. Sabine Wren out."

Sighing, she set the computer and rod back in her pack before settling in to wait, her mind wandering back to Ezra Bridger, the young man who had dropped into her life and the life of the crew members of the _Ghost_. At first, he seemed like a nuisance - a clever nuisance and a sometimes useful nuisance, but a nuisance none the less. But then he had begun his Jedi training and it seemed to change everything about the guy. As they became more and more involved with the rebellion against the Empire, she had come to trust Ezra and to rely on him and to care very deeply about him. He had stood by her every step of the way when she had returned to Mandalore and her family. He had been her training partner while Kanan instructed her in the use of the fabled Darksaber, the weapon of the chieftain of the Mandalorian warrior clans.

During her brief time away from the Specters, she had been surprised by how much she had missed Ezra, his ridiculous sense of humor and his antics around the ship. Yet, his steadfastness and determination, she missed even more. It mirrored her own and complemented them. All of it had come to one final conflict against Grand Admiral Thrawn. The Empire had control of Lothal and while the remainder of the fledgling Rebel Alliance had abandoned the planet as lost, Ezra and the others had returned to fight for it. They had lost Kanan but defeated the Imperial governor Pryce. Finally, in an act of self-sacrifice, Ezra had summoned the purrgil and they had dragged him and Grand Admiral Thrawn away from Lothal to who knows where out into the Unknown Regions.

Sabine smiled as her eyes became misty and she remember that last message to them all. " _If you're watching this recording, then I owe you an explanation. There were several paths in front of me. While this wasn't the one I wanted to take, it's what I had to do."_

The memory of that last message forced Sabine to scrub at her eyes and take a few deep breathes. "Dammit, Kid!" she said under her breath. "I hate that you can get under my skin like that. Ever since you left, you have me all messed up. By the stars, you had better be alright when I find you."

His final words to her hit home the hardest of course. _"Sabine, don't forget, I'm counting on you."_

"I'll get you home;" she murmured again. "I promise, I'll get you home."

At first, she had thought he meant about keeping Lothal out of the hands of the Empire after it had been saved but after the major victory at Endor, she had come to realize that he meant to bring him home. That's what she and Ahsoka had set out to do.

Once again, mastering her turbulent emotions, she climbed down from the tree. She needed water - or at least, she needed to know where to get more water. Listening carefully, she tried to detect the sounds of running water - either the pleasant gurgle of a stream or spring or the louder roar of a water fall. Even the pitter-patter of drops would have been helpful but unfortunately, she couldn't here any of it. Holding her blaster rifle at a low-ready position, just in case there was trouble, she headed out in the opposite direction of her escape pod's crash sight.

With her senses on high alert, she made sure to study everything. Before long, she heard the sound she had been listening for - water. While still keeping three-sixty degree awareness, she hurried towards the sound and was amazed at what she happened upon. She burst into a small clearing and found what appeared to be an old shrine of some kind. There were idols in a circle around a spring of crystal clear water. The symbols etched in the stones were completely alien but beautiful as well. The artist within Sabine was fascinated and, still trying to keep her senses alert. She almost thought she could get a very, very basic idea of what they meant. This was a religious shrine, honoring a pantheon of some kind of pagan gods and goddesses. There were thirteen, all told, six female and seven male. They all looked humanoid enough though they were crudely carved, as if with only hand tools.

When she had figured out everything that she could, Sabine stood and went to the spring, filling her bottle back up from the clear water. She tasted it as well and it tasted clean and pure, without the taste or smell of any sort of contaminate. It was less than three quarters of a kilometer away from the crash site so, with her water sources refilled, she headed back that way.

When she was about half way back, her keen hearing picked up sounds in the woods. They were very soft sounds, the rustling of bushes and leaves and the very soft sound of footfalls. Casually, Sabine lifted her blaster rifle and held it ready. Just as she was coming to the crashed ship, the attack came. Out of nowhere, a figure rushed and struck her weapon from her hands with a heavy spear staff before pointing it at her menacingly with a command in an unfamiliar language. Out of pure reflex, Sabine went for her blaster pistols, only to find both of them struck from her hands by two more warriors. Before she could do anything else, a dozen primitive warriors armed with weapons of obsidian stone and wood. They wore the loincloths made from animal skin and their feet were also covered in boots of supple skin. Other than that, the only thing on their bronzed, muscular bodies was war paint. The paints were amazing camouflage and, at the same time, made them appear fierce.

Slowly, hoping that it was indeed the universal sign for surrender, Sabine lifted her hands. One of the warriors, a man who also wore a skin over his head and shoulders - the skin of a lupine creature of some kind - snarled an order.

Unsure of what to do, Sabine said, "I don't understand you!"

Suddenly, the warriors fell silent and one of them, a man with a necklace of claws, murmured something to the man with the skin. The response was brief. One of them unwrapped ropes made from interwoven plant fibers and tied her hands down beside her waist. They tied her at the elbows as well and then across the middle of her upper arms. When they were done, it was near impossible to move.

At another few brisk commands, they gathered up her fallen weapons and lead her off.

Sabine was furious and anxious at being led away by primitive natives. She had to find Ahsoka and to get off this planet. She had to find Ezra.

They traveled for several long kilometers until they came to what appeared to be a sizable city. The buildings were of good size, though nothing compared to those on Lothal. Across the city-scape occasionally rose tall pyramids with enclosed rooms at the top of them and doorways that went inside of them as well. The only building more than three stories other than these temples was a single, large structure. It was built at the top of a pyramid which, in contrast to the others, looked to have been carved directly our of a massive formation of volcanic rock. Straight to the top of that structure they went, climbing the high stairs until they came to what appeared to be a dome without walls, only a series of rough-cut pillars. At the center of the circle sat the last person in the universe that Sabine had expected to see. Wearing a white skin of the same lupine creature that the native in charge of her capture wore, wearing nothing else but an animal skin loincloth, boots and a necklace of the teeth and claws of some animal, sat Ezra Bridger.

His electric-blue eyes widened in shock at seeing her and he stood quickly to his feet. On either side of him, to very large and strong warriors with black lupine skins lowered their spears and made loud commands. Then Ezra himself spoke in their tongue and stepped towards her. Before he could reach her, the raspy, nasally voice of an old main came from the side. Two identical old men with headdresses made of the feathers of some fantastic bird and wearing mantels that looked to be made from the skin of a scaly reptile stepped from behind curtains woven from some exotic kind of silk. They pointed staves at Ezra and one after another seemed to be sternly giving him orders or delivering dire warnings.

Ezra looked irritated, a look that Sabine knew well. He was clearly resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he replied to them.

But the two old men, obviously priests or shamans or something like that, were adamant and shook their heads twice. This time, Ezra did roll his eyes and said something else as he went back to his seat and sat down. The old men looked at one another and nodded cautiously before taking up positions on either side of the throne with the two burly guards. "It's good to see you again, Sabine. I can't even say how good it is. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to go too close yet. The two old geezers there say that you and your clothing and armor must be purified before I can."

Sabine's eyes widened and she asked nervously. "What exactly is 'purifying'?"

Ezra's blue eyes suddenly began to sparkle and he said, "Oh, it's not so bad. It's where a bunch of the priestesses take you down to a hot, salt-water spring and scrub you with a plant that is used for hygiene here. It smells good too. They'll use something else on your armor and weapons but don't worry. They know what their doing and the stuff won't effect the blasters or gauntlets. Trust me. They did the same to my lightsaber."

Her patted the familiar cylinder at his waist. Despite herself, Sabine was getting a little irritated. "So a bunch of old woman are going to strip me naked and wash me. I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself, thanks."

"Oh I know, but it's part of their religious ceremony. Trust me, if you don't play along, they'll feed you to the dragon lizards in the river at the bottom of a ravine, way over there. I saw them punish one of their criminals that way. Look, I promise, it won't hurt. In fact, once you get passed the awkwardness, it's actually kinda nice."

It suddenly struck Sabine that Ezra was speaking from experience and she narrowed her eyes. "Oh yeah? And I'm guessing you know this because they did it to you too, right?"

Ezra shrugged. "I didn't have a choice. I had no desire to be fed to the dragon lizards. Just play along, Sabine, please. Once you have been cleansed, we can work something out, alright?"

Hesitantly, Sabine nodded and Ezra turned to the two old men, saying something in their primitive tongue. The old men nodded in satisfaction and motioned the guards to take Sabine away. Suddenly realizing that she hadn't said even one word to Ezra that she wanted to, Sabine called to him. "Ezra, I have so much I have to tell you, so many things."

The young man's eyes were filled with joy at seeing her and longing to speak to her. "I know. Same here. We'll talk, I promise."

As she was pulled away, Ezra's smile only grew. Sabine had found him, just as he knew she would all those years ago. How many had it been? Four? Five? Six years ago? What was going on with the fight against the Empire? Had the Alliance ever returned to help the people of Lothal? Had the people of Lothal needed help after the purrgil had removed Thrawn? There were so many questions that Ezra had for her. He noticed that her hair was black again too - black and even shorter than the last time he had seen it. He liked it. It made her look tough but beautiful. Granted, after eight and a half local years and at least five yours of not seeing her at all, Sabine could be bald and he would still think her beautiful.

But now, he had to be patient and the villagers were coming to ask for his blessing, his healing or his advice. His powers in the force had set him up as a chieftain-hero of some kind.

As the first group came up carrying a young man with a nasty gash in his leg, Ezra cleared his mind and prepared himself to help these people - people who had, for the most part, shown him kindness since he had awakened lying almost naked on the jungle floor. The least he could do is use his powers the way Kanan would want him to - to protect, defend and to heal.

* * *

Sabine was surrounded by naked woman holding soft clothes and strange bark that oozed clear bubbling sap. Slowly, two that were around her age located and deftly removed the plating of her armor. The body glove that she wore beneath followed after and in no time, she stood naked among them. The older women murmured to one another and Sabine had the distinct impression that they were talking about her, though whether in a complimentary fashion or a negative one, she had no idea. They led her down into the water and had her duck beneath the surface for a moment before lifting her back up. Gently, they drew her into a shallower part of the pool. Two young woman rubbed the bark over the soft cloths, causing them to become sudsy.

A wonderful smell permeated the air and the young woman began to gently scrub her arms. A very pleasant tingle spread wherever the soft cloth brushed her skin. Another soft cloth began to brush one of her legs, starting down at her knees and going upwards. "Woah now;" murmured Sabine, a little nervously. "You're uh... really thorough... aren't you?"

The woman working on one arm clearly didn't understand her as she scrubbed under her arm and her shoulder - before moving across the top of her chest. The woman cleaning her other arm moved down her flat stomach and the right side of her body. A forth woman put something on her hair and began to gently massage it into her head, forcing her eyes to close. Her sense of feel and smell became hyper-aware. The cloth washing her leg moved upward over her thigh, almost all the way up to the apex of her legs before switching over to her other knee and repeating. When the cloth that had been washing the top of her chest and her slender neck brushed downward over her breasts, Sabine shuddered as the tingling of the sap spread over them, causing the tips of them to harden. "Stars!" she muttered, "take it easy with this stuff!"

Again, the women murmured, probably saying, once again, that they didn't know what she was saying. The cloth moving up her legs quite thoroughly finished with washing her lower body, not at all shy about washing her womanhood. Satine gasped again and felt heat rushing to her face and her core. Again, the cloth brushed over her breasts and she bit her lip to avoid letting out anymore noise. Some took Sabine's left hand and placed it on what felt like a naked shoulder before lifting the left foot out of the water, scrubbing the foot, ankle and shapely calf just as thoroughly as the rest of her.

As the women finished up and as the tingle permeated her whole body now and she couldn't help but smile. In the back of her mind, Sabine wondered if the suds were some kind of mild narcotic or that was just part of the result of a 'cleansing.'

She was led deeper into the salt water and gently pressed to dunk again. Sabine allowed herself to sink below the warm water and ran her fingers through her hair a few times before rising, brushing the water from her face before opening her eyes.

On the bank of the pool, three women who were dress held towels. As she came up out of the spring, Sabine realized that the treatment, whether it had been intended to be sensual or not, had left her aroused. The three women wrapped their towels around her - one around her waist, one around her head and one around her hair. The oldest woman, still beautiful but probably in her fifties in standard years, pointed to a soapstone building and said something.

Sabine didn't have a single clue what the woman, someone of obvious authority, was even saying but it was clear that they wanted her to go into the building. Still wrapped in towels, she went down into the building and found two more women waiting for her. The building was very warm and dry inside. Gently, the women removed her towels and combed her short hair. On a low counter sat what appeared to be clothing made of the skins of the lupine creatures. "What are those animals called anyway?" she asked allowed to no one in particular. "They remind me of Lothwolves."

The women took some kind of lotion or something from jars and gently began to rub it over her legs. Again, they had no qualms about rubbing it into the outside of her groin and over her firm cheeks as well. Again, she hissed and muttered, "They seemed determined to get me all riled up before I go see Ezra."

As they worked the lotion into her abdomen and breasts, she wondered if that was actually their intention. When they were finished, the women handed her the clothes, a strange skirt-like garment that hung around the waist, clasped with three bone clasps at the hips and a vest of some kind. It covered her naked body. However, if she turned to fast, her breasts very well could spill out one side and, just like most of the other lupine garments, the had came over her head much like a hood.

The women smiled and led her out. The older woman, the authoritative woman motioned her to follow back towards the palace-temple.


	2. Chapter 2

The arousal that Sabine felt from her cleansing was exacerbated by seeing Ezra again. She was taken to what she assumed was his personal suite. There was a rather large bed off to one side and along the walls were counters with platters of food and pitchers of drink of some kind. There were couches and chairs and other various kinds of furniture. Ezra was reclining on a sofa, studying several different scrolls at a time with that intense look he would get while making a plan.

Sabine bit her lower lip as she took him in. He wasn't very broad but he wasn't the skinny kid she had met on Lothal. In fact, since he had disappeared, he had filled out quite well and the life here must have been treating him well. His arms weren't overlarge but they were muscular and wiry. His chest was impeccably defined and his abdominal muscles - Sabine wanted to touch them, just to see if they felt as good as they looked.

His legs were bare down to the strange boots of the lupine animal skin that the natives seemed to like. Everything else was covered by either the loincloth or the skin that Ezra wore over his head, neck and shoulders. Suddenly, he looked up and grinned. "I cannot even say how great it is to see you, Sabine!" he gushed, coming around the writing desk and all but rushing her.

Sabine smiled and hugged him tightly. "We've been looking for you for nine months, Kid;" she said fondly. "Ahsoka was with me too but where got to, I'm not sure. We got knocked out of the sky by a solar storm."

Ezra released her and took her shoulders, examining her closely. "Yeah, they're fairly frequent out here in the Unknown Regions. I'll have the priests send out hunting packs and scouts to try and find her. I'll make sure that they paint a rough picture of me to make sure that Ahsoka doesn't cause too much trouble too."

His scrutiny was making her just a little uneasy and self-conscious. Smiling, he stepped back and said, "You look amazing, Sabine. It's so good to see you. Thank you for coming to find me."

Sabine smiled and hugged him tightly again. "Of course. You were counting on me."

Suddenly, someone spoke at the entrance to the suite. A woman of at least forty, leaning on an elaborate spear, spoke in the native tongue. While Ezra gave a long reply, Sabine studied her. She was clearly a warrior but also had an air of authority about her. She wore a steel-gray skin and had a shield woven of what appeared to be thick reeds of some kind on her back. Like all the priests and warriors Sabine had seen, this woman had elaborate painting all over the visible parts of her body - her legs, her arms, her face, her chest and her muscular abdomen.

Ezra explained the conversation, "She asked if I required guards this evening. I declined, much to her displeasure, and I requested that she send out hunting garlobos and scouts to scour the area for Ahsoka. Now, are you hungry at all?"

Sabine nodded vigorously and Ezra motioned to the food and drink along the walls. "Please, help yourself."

She hurried over and looked down at the food. As she began to sample it, Ezra studied her again. She looked amazing. Things he hadn't noticed while she wore her armor and body glove, he noticed now. For example, her legs were muscular but not to the point of losing their feminine attractiveness. Indeed, they were perfectly formed. When she moved quickly in her borrowed garments, he would catch glimpses of her backside - a very shapely backside that he had enjoyed looking at as she walked to and fro throughout the ship or on Lothal. Her stomach, which was also visible, was flat and defined with a cute little navel. As she turned around to look at him, he caught a glimpse of her breasts from the side and decided that it was a shame that Mandalorian armor bound certain things so tightly and kept so much hidden. "What exactly are you looking at?" sabine tried to growl through a mouth full of fruit.

Ezra chuckled and went over, selecting a slice of some kind of meat for himself. "You, obviously. Did you enjoy your cleansing?"

She swallowed before answering. "It was certainly a new experience, nothing like using showers or sonic showers aboard a ship. For one thing, I've never been bathed by a bunch of naked women who don't speak the same language as I do."

"Yeah, that one threw me off too;" chuckled Ezra before he popped the slice of meat into his mouth with relish.

Sabine looked at him. "Wait, they did that to you too?"

"Oh yeah;" he said absently. "They do it every day after the evening meal. In fact, they'll be along in a couple hours to collect me."

Sabine's eyes widened. "But they're all naked and some of them are really quite beautiful. How do you keep from.. uh..."

"I don't. They aren't surprised by it either. I guess they kinda just roll with it. But here's the thing, they're the priestesses of one of these people's goddesses. Her name is Galleera and she's the goddess of chastity, hygiene and spiritual purity, things that the natives believe all tie together. They do this for any priest or priestess who is about to perform a ceremony or is considered impure in anyway."

"But what happens if a man has wandering hands and decides-"

"Doesn't happen, or at least hasn't since I've been here;" said Ezra as he poured a dark, brown colored drink into a cup and handed it to her. "They say that the goddess herself will consume any who lays an inappropriate hand on one of her priestesses. I just think that they kill that person if they try anything."

Sabine's eyes widened. "What? How?"

"Every priest and priestess is force sensitive here to some degree. You can tell the priests and priestesses by their ceremonial paint. The woman just came in, she was the priestess of a war and hunting god. She commands our scouts and hunting parties and communicates with the god Garsus."

Sabine nodded slowly. "What are the skins you all seem to wear?"

"They are the skins of wild garlobos. They're kinda like Lothwolves but smaller and not force sensitive at all. They are the mascot, if you will, of the people of this particular tribe or nation. You see, there are millions of humans on this planet and each nation has a mascot. There is a nation that reveres animals that are like nerfs, only a lot bigger and with much courser fur. Their skin makes great leather for clothing. Another tribe worships the dragon-lizard. The things are comparable to Krell dragons but smaller and even nastier. Those are the only ones I've seen so far but there are plenty more."

Sabine nodded as she sipped the drink. It was delicious, a chocolaty drink that had the distinct smell and taste of mild fermentation. She gave Ezra a crooked eye. "Are you trying to get me drunk, Bridger?"

Ezra laughed. "You wish! No, this stuff would only get you tipsy if you were a light weight. You're no lightweight, Sabine. Anyhow, let's finish up. It's getting late and we're going to need to retire for the night. When we're done eating, the acolytes of the priests of the god Lotoc will gather what's left and hand it out to those in the city who are on hard times and Lotoc's temple."

"And Lotoc is the god of-?"

"Generosity, compassion and provision but also of hard work and service. Only those who work hard but are still poor or who are sick or injured can partake;" explained Ezra.

Sabine nodded. She had been wondering about all the food. She wandered from dish to dish, trying a little of everything until she was full to capacity. "Yup, I'm good. No more for me;" she murmured with a contented sigh.

Ezra chuckled and motioned her to the couch. He was about to sit with her when two groups of priests and their acolytes arrived. "Well," Ezra said with a disappointed shrug, "time for my evening cleansing."

"What should I do?" asked Sabine.

"Not sure, to be honest. They aren't quite sure what they think of you yet. Let me ask."

In a long string of the native speak, Ezra inquired. The man in charge of the acolytes gathering the food answered and Ezra looked startled. He began to protest but the priests stern response laid the matter to rest. With a sigh and a blush, Ezra said, "Well this is awkward. Apparently, you have to stay with me."

"Oh?" said Sabine in relief at first - until she remembered that Ezra was going down for a cleanse at the hot saltwater springs. "OH!" she said again, blushing herself. "Why do I have to?"

"The short answer? You and I are the only two people to 'fall from the sky' in this people's history. They think that we are both born of the gods. They think that, because I'm force sensitive, I'm some kind of demigod hero champion priest or something and you are either supposed to be a sacrifice to me or a gift to me. Until the priests and I have a chance to argue it out, you're kinda my responsibility. If you cause trouble, I get in trouble."

"But aren't you supposed to be their hero king or something?" asked Sabine sounding slightly desperate.

Ezra shrugged. "Yeah but the priests, especially together, have more authority than even I do. I'm still bound by their customs - _all_ of their customs."

Sabine crossed her arms and said, "Fine. Let's go. They won't be cleansing me too, will they?"

The Jedi boy had the nerve to chuckle. "Of course not! You just washed. Besides, these guys are big on, shall we say, purity?"

Sabine's eyes widened and she said, "And they're worried that I'm going to, what, _violate_ you? _YOU?_ "

Ezra's electric blue eyes were twinkling. "I dunno, Sabine. The way you were looking at me when you first walked in, I felt like you were at least thinking about it. Come on. Let's head down."

Sabine's face was a dark shade of red with embarrassment as they headed down to the spring. She tried not to watch but it wasn't easy. From the moment they pulled the skin off his shoulders and unfastened his loincloth, it became a struggle. It only got more difficult as they scrubbed him with the cloths and the bark sap. The smell that permeated the air sure didn't help. It triggered the memories of those same soft cloths brushing over her body. Again, her arousal returned and she crossed her arms, scowling in frustration. Even so, she couldn't help any longer but watch as an attractive young woman, painted all over with blue and white paint and naked, gently ran the sudsy cloth over Ezra's chest, all the way down to his already hardening manhood.

With a groan that she managed to strangle down, Sabine bit her lip and looked away. When Ezra gasped and said something in the native tongue, she whipped around, only to see that one of the priestesses was washing his shaft as gently as possible. Ezra's jaw was set and he was looking straight up. Clearly, despite his earlier words about it, he never got used to this part of the cleansing process. After what seemed like a teasing, torturous eternity, they wrapped the towels around his waist and led him to the soapstone drying building. Sabine refused to go inside. Just the thought of the two women in there rubbing the lotion or whatever it was all over Ezra's body was maddening. Actually seeing it would cause her to lose her mind with arousal. "Geez, I hope there are places to take cold baths around here;" she muttered to herself.

"Nope, not really, I'm afraid;" said Ezra from behind her.

He was dressed again and blushing madly, not meeting her eyes. The bashfulness was endearing enough to set her a little more at her ease. She laced her arm through his and said, "Well what now?"

"It's getting late. Most of them are off to bed at this time. Sacrifices are made to certain gods and all that but for my part, I usually meditate and then go to bed. We wake up with the sun during the non-rainy season - which we're in now. Breakfast is brought and then comes the meeting with the priests. I'm guessing they'll decide what to do with you then."

Sabine nodded slowly. "Okay, great. So where am I sleeping?"

"They're setting up a cot for you up in my living area. It should be comfortable enough."

This time, when they went up, their were guards posted around in black skins. "Night guards;" Ezra explained. "Warrior acolytes of the god Omphast - Lord of the night and of nocturnal beasts. During ancient tames, his beasts would terrorize those who too far from the fire. Now, he sends evil after those who do not keep the fire going or are complacent at night. I have twelve guards posted about. They'll make sure we aren't disturbed and will be gone when the sun rises."

"Great;" said Sabine. "That's not creepy at all."

As Ezra had said, a cot was waiting for her covered in skins. It was much more comfortable than a ships bunk for sure. "Ezra?" she asked sleepily, "what happens if they decide they want to kill me."

"I won't let them."

"And if they try to kill you?"

Without even moment of hesitation, he replied, "Then it'll be me and you against a planet - just like old times, right?"

Sabine smiled, comforted be his words as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The following morning, Sabine woke to a gentle hand shaking her. It was Ezra. With a gentle smile, pointed to the counters. "Go eat. I'm afraid none of it is really traditional breakfast food but it's all good."

Sabine nodded as he turned away. She stood and stretched and readjusted her very loose clothing before joining him by the table. "The meetings in a half hour;" said Ezra, very seriously. "No matter how tense the argument gets, stay still and don't interfere. Oh, and your blasters and armor are over there. I already checked. They're in perfect working order. It seems, however, that they destroyed the body glove. I'm not sure how but when they showed it to me, it was pretty well shredded."

"Great!" said Sabine, "now I get to walk around in these for the remainder of my stay."

Ezra chuckled. "Now you know how I feel."

They ate and meekly followed the guards when they came to collect them. The priests were all assembled when they arrived, each with at least a half a dozen acolytes with them. Ezra strode to his chair and sat down, Sabine standing beside him quietly. One of the priests asked and question, which Ezra answered. Just like that, they all, one by one, began making long, semi-drawn out speeches with many a gesture towards the ground, the sky, Ezra and Sabine. It all made her very uncomfortable.

For several hours this went on, with voices being raised and then calming down again and again. At one point, Ezra was on his feet, pointing to a woman who looked to be younger than the rest. She was armed with a bow and arrows had a knife on her hip. She shrugged and made a short reply. Finally, the priests and priestesses were silent as they all looked expectantly at Ezra.

He sighed and said, "You are going to absolutely hate this, Sabine."

Her heart went cold and she said, "Is that so. Why, might I ask?"

"The short answer? Either you 'marry me'-" and he waggled two fingers on each hand up and down as he said 'marry me'. "Or you get sacrificed to me as a burned offering."

Sabine's eyes went wide and she croaked. "WHAT?"

The priests and priestesses began to murmur to each other and Ezra said something in their language to calm them. "Calm down! You're making them anxious;" he said to her.

"Them? What about me?" she demanded in a quieter voice.

"I assume you don't want to burn."

"Obviously;" she said in a whispered snarl.

After a moment, she crossed her arms and said, "How would it work?"

"Um... they slit your throat and put your body in a bonfire and then gather around and sing my praises."

It was all Sabine could do to keep from strangling Ezra. In a low voice and through gritted teeth, she said, "I meant the wedding? And the marriage too."

"OH!" Ezra said, "Well the ones that I've been to, the family and friends gather around in their nicest outfits and thoroughly painted with this special ceremonial paint. Then, they have this ceremony and exchange vows before heading up to the Temple of Larsh, he's the god of marriage. The high priest of Larsh blesses them and leaves and then the married couple, um... consummate."

Sabine glared at him and growled sarcastically. "Oh really? Is that all?"

Ezra looked around at the natives again and plastered a smile on. "No! The knife and barbecue are still an option."

Sabine rolled her eyes and rubbed her temples. In a more gentle, serious voice, Ezra said, "Look, we'll be the only ones up there. We can just pretend that we are doing... it. And they won't know the difference. Besides, it's not like it's going to be binding in Imperial law, right?"

"New Republic law, but that's a story for another time;" said Sabine.

Finally, she sighed and said, "Okay, fine! What do I have to do?"

Ezra grinned and declared in the native tongue. The priests began to chant. "You'll go through another cleanse and then, tonight when the full moon is at it's height, the ceremony begins. Preparations - those begin now."

The priestesses and acolytes who performed cleansing gathered around both of the and ushered them out of the temple. Around them and the women, armed guards in startling white skins surrounded them. Hastily, Ezra began to explain. "They are going to teach you vows that you'll say at the wedding. Pronunciation is everything so listen carefully and practice. Also, get ready; you'll be going through cleansing three times today and they'll, uh... be even more thorough than usual."

"What do you mean more thorough than usual?" she demanded.

Ezra winced and said, "They are going to be downright intrusive, okay, for both of us. They have to make sure that _every works_ properly."

Sabine's face looked mortified but before she could ask what he meant, they were hustled down to the salt spring again. They were made to face away from one another as they were scrubbed just as thoroughly as normal. Sabine tried to ask Ezra something else but he shushed her, murmuring, "We'll get a second to talk after this. They'll take us to the Temple of Confession."

Again, the sensual, teasing pleasure of being rubbed down by the women around her left Sabine aroused and frustrated and, judging by how his loincloth tented, Ezra felt much the same way. After they had been washed and dried and thoroughly rubbed with lotion and redressed, this time in silver-white silk and their garlobo's skins over their heads and shoulders, their armed guards, armed with spears and shields and strange weapons made of heavy wood with obsidian shards set in them, led them to a temple unlike the others. Rather than be at the top of a pyramid like the others were, this one was the reverse, down in an amphitheater-like structure. Two mats were in front of an the idol of another goddess. In one hand, she held a set of elaborate scales. In the other, a thin brush with which she was writing what looked to be a list.

Ezra and Sabine sat cross-legged on the mats in front of the statue. They waited until all the guards had spread out to the rim of the temple, all facing outward. "Okay;" said Ezra, "now we can talk."

"What do you mean they have to make sure everything works?" she demanded in a whisper.

Ezra winced. "I am going to sound like a conceded, narcissistic ass when I say this... but they want to be sure that you, as my prize, are able to fulfill every mortal need I may have."

"Great;" she growled, clenching her fists as they rested on her knees. "So I need to know how to cook and clean and do laundry and all that domesticated shavit, don't I?"

"Oh no;" chuckled the Jedi boy, "you don't have to worry about any of that. We'll have acolytes from the various temples taking care of our every need. No, you'll manage my house hold and raise my children. You will be in charge of my personal guard and my servants. You will be my accountability and my adviser and the last line of defense in my protection."

After a long pause, she grumbled, "I suppose it could be worse, then. I don't suppose there's a chance that we can just escape."

"Nope;" sighed Ezra, sounding truly disappointed and depressed. "They've been watching me almost every moment since I landed hear almost five years ago now. I don't know what happened to Thrawn or the _Chimaera_ but I'm guessing the purrgil took them and left me here."

Sabine glanced over at him. With his face downcast like that, he looked so much like the boy she met on Lothal, so filled with sadness and so jaded from the universe's treatment of him. She wanted to run a hand through his lengthening black hair and maybe run her fingers along the blue and black paint on his face. She had noticed that the salt water didn't wash it off and neither did the sap. There were designs running from his wrists up to his shoulders and down the plains of his chest, disappearing into his loincloth. His thick legs had them too going upwards. They were all along his strong back and seemed to highlight his very pleasing physique. "What's with the paint the natives wear anyway?" she asked to take his mind off of his depression.

Ezra looked at his arms. "They are made of a stone powder that is found all over the place on this planet. They mix it with the fluids from plants that they crush and mix it with the salt water from the springs. The salt on this planet is different than any other planet. Anyhow, the plants they use are mildly forceful. When certain spells and blessings are put on them by the priests, it is said that the gods bless them. The warriors and hunters are given the spirits of the garlobos. They fight viciously and yet, as a perfect team - better than even the best rebel or Imperial commandos. Some of them heal too, removing poison and toxins from someone afflicted and stopping the loss of blood. Others act as a glue strong enough to seal an open gash. Others are narcotics that help with pain and so on."

Sabine nodded, "So after this whole marriage thing, will I get them too?"

Ezra nodded. "Yup, they'll paint you with blacks and blues and darker grays like they did me because of your hair color, I think - all over you. It's an experience you'll have to get comfortable with - or maybe not considering how much you enjoy painting. You might find that you like it."

Sabine snorted. "I enjoy painting - it doesn't mean I want to be painted. Did _you_ like it?"

Ezra chuckled. "I'm not ticklish. Are you?"

She glared at him. He knew full well how ticklish she was - everywhere.

Ezra chuckled and said, "You saw how the acolytes at the saltwater springs were painted. You'll be like that, just with different colors than white, blue and gray."

Sabine remembered. Those women had been covered in intricate designs from dies hair down to the tops of their feet. All over their backs and the backs of their legs and arms had been the light gray color in wavy patterns, along each side of their spines and their ribs too. The white paint had been skillfully used to emphasize their beautiful figures, highlighting the shape of their stomachs, their breasts and the shapeliness of their necks and shoulder. "So they're going to paint me with blacks, blues and dark grays then?"

"Yup;" confirmed Ezra absentmindedly.

He was silent again before asking, "What has happened since I was taken away?"

Sabine's eyes lit up and she said, "Oh, not much really. The Empire was driven off Lothal and then, after four long years, some Jedi named Skywalker destroyed Darth Vader and the Emperor over Endor, right before the Empire's super weapon blew to hell."

Ezra turned and looked at her. "We won?"

Sabine nodded, a confident smile on her face. "Last I heard, the Empire was on the run. That's when Ahsoka and I came to find you."

Ezra's electric blew eyes were shining. "I don't believe it - after so many years and so many sacrifices, the Rebel Alliance actually won."

"Of course we did, Kid;" chuckled Sabine. "You shouldn't be so surprised, you know. Just look at who they had working them."

She motioned to herself and him with a smirk. Ezra nodded slowly before sighing in depression and saying, "Now we just need a way to get home."

"We will;" said Sabine, "right now, we just need to survive here. Now, oh future husband of mine, what next?"

Ezra looked up at the sun. "Oh we're going to be down here for another hour or so. These people are serious about the confession of iniquity and such."

"So what exactly is sin in this society?"

"Same as any other society, I guess. Theft and murder and adultery, stuff like that."

Sabine nodded slowly, thinking back over the passed few years. "Well does armed rebellion against an established government count as a sin?"

"Well since that government was involved in xenophobia, mass slavery and genocide, I would say not;" chuckled Ezra.

Sabine's countenance darkened. "You have no idea, Kid."

For the next hour, she filled him in on everything. She told him about the battle of Scarif where she was a gunner on the _Ghost_ for Hera and about the fate of Alderaan. She recounted the battle of Yavin where the Emperor's secret weapon, the Death Star was destroyed and the war all the way up to the second Death Star and the death of Vader and Palpatine. By the time she was done, the guards were descending to collect them.

After that, they were taken to rest and meditate. It was going to be a late night and the priests wanted them ready. In the pavilion that they were sent to sleep in, sweet smelling herbs were burning and they both fell right to sleep. They were awakened again and midday and food was laid out for them before their second cleansing. This was one wholly different. Aside from being washed and rubbed with lotion, every inch of their bodies were examined, as if for damage. Sabine felt fingers run through her black hair as one of the women murmured something to another. Another had her open her mouth so she could check her teeth as well. Still another was carefully running a hand up and down each arm as if checking for injury or deformation. She followed with Sabine's legs and backside, which she rubbed and squeezed slightly, causing Sabine to gasp and jump a little. "Hey now;" she growled.

Ezra shushed her and murmured, "Just let it happen. If you are deemed unfit, it will only be worse, trust me."

Another hand touched Sabine's breasts, massaging them slightly as if doing an inspection. Sabine bit her lip to cut off another gasp. Behind her, Ezra hissed and groaned. "Are you okay?" she asked just loud enough for him to hear.

"Yup;" he said, his voice strained. "As I said, they're- AH! They're making sure everything is working."

Sabine was about to try to turn her head when another woman crouched down in the water, using a dry cloth to dry her hand before rubbing oil of some kind on it. The young woman was earnest and wide eyes as she explained something or another to her that Sabine didn't understand. "I don't understand. Ezra?"

"AH! I'm guessing, they're going to check on you now;" he said in halting, gasping breaths.

"Check on me h- AH!"

The young woman surprised her by slipping two fingers inside Sabine's womanhood, causing her to jump. Other women held her arms gently but firmly and murmured what were probably meant to be reassurances. "Wha- what are you doing?" she asked as the woman moved her fingers around.

When she used to thumb to brush Sabine's very sensitive nub, it was all the Mandalorian woman could do not to gasp loudly. The young acolyte in front of her seemed to notice and nodded with satisfaction before doing it again, this time in conjunction with her fingers. "What the-" Sabine gasped.

Behind her Ezra gasped and muttered, "Oh my stars! GAH! I'm-" before biting off whatever it was he was going to say.

After that, things became hazy. The acolyte tending to Sabine knew her business pretty well, quickly locating her sweet spots and caressing them ceaselessly until Sabine's mind and body felt like it had exploded in ecstasy.

The young woman cleaned her hand and Sabine's legs and womanhood with a cloth again and with a look of satisfaction on her face, stating something to her associates. They all murmured in agreement and assisted Sabine out of the water since she was none too steady on her feet. Ezra was only a little better apparently, his own eyes lidded with afterglow. While they were still coming down, they were dried and rubbed down with lotion and taken to another temple of one of the gods.

Inside the temple were two idols, a male and a female. Ezra, who's eyes had finally uncrossed, explained who they were. "These are Garon and Thoth. Garon is the father of heroes and it is said that all priests share at least in part to his bloodline from eons ago. Thoth was apparently tasked with the identifying of possible spouses for heroes, priests and priestesses."

"Does it matter that I don't have the force?" asked Sabine.

"Nope. They prefer it that way, actually. The husbands and wives of priests and whatnot are preferred not to be force sensitive. Don't ask me why. They tried to explain it once and it just made me confused."

Sabine chuckled before asking, "So... what are we doing here?"

"Praying for the blessings of these two gods. In other words, just waiting for a couple hours before the dinner time and the last cleansing. We can talk more."

Sabine sighed. "Another cleansing? They aren't going to-"

"No, they aren't. They already checked that;" chuckled Ezra. "Nope, just one more cleansing. After that, we take another nap until just before local midnight. Then, when the moons are both full, the ceremony will take place."

She nodded and they were silence for awhile. After about ten minutes, Sabine was board to the point of irritation. "So how are we going to pull off this whole 'pretend to be married' thing? Aren't they going to want proof of consummation?"

Ezra shrugged. "I have no idea, to be honest. I don't think anyone who's gone through all this has ever not actually wanted to get married and consummate. I mean, I'm not even sure how exactly I would, uh, pretend since I've never really done the real thing."

Sabine looked at him in surprise. "Really? They didn't hook you up with some consorts or concubines or whatever?"

"Nope;" said Ezra, blushing a little. "Remember, these people value purity."

There was a long pause. "Okay;" said Sabine carefully, "I'm not exactly a virgin, you know. Is that going to matter?"

"Only if I tell them that - in which case, they'll drive you out into the jungle with nothing except your sunny disposition. They assume that, since you fell from the sky as a gift from the gods, you still are one. Let's keep it that way."

"Right;" murmured Sabine. "Look, just do what I say and I'll make sure it turns out alright. It's not hyperdrive science or anything."

He nodded in agreement, staring off into the distance. As she watched him, Sabine couldn't help but notice how handsome he had become - couldn't help notice it again, at the least. She had always thought that he was at least cute. Now, the brooding, thoughtful look was enough to cause her to stare at him. After seeing his body a couple times now too, she wondered if maybe taking advantage of the night and his lack of experience wasn't such a bad idea. She knew that he found her attractive too, always had. But she didn't want to put an unnecessary strain on their relationship.

Suppressing a sigh, she settled in to wait for the guards to retrieve them again.

The remainder of the day was fairly tedious. They ate their dinner meal and went back down to the springs for the third and final cleansing. After that, they were again sent to sleep for a few more hours. Sabine remembered thinking that, of all the strange things she'd seen and all the strange places she had been to, her current situation and location topped all of them by lightyears.


	3. Chapter 3

It was dark when they awoke. A priest and his warrior acolytes came as did a separate group of female hunters led by a priestess. Sabine looked at Ezra and, to her surprised, he looked very nervous. "It'll be okay;" she tried to assure him but, if she was being honest, she was just as nervous as he was.

Ezra managed to force a smile and said, "Sure it will! We're getting married tonight. They are going to teach you how to say some things. Learn what they're trying to say and do so _carefully._ Pronunciation is key."

They didn't have a chance to say more than that to one another before they were rushed apart. Sabine was brought to a room that was lit only by a lamp in each corner and the two full moons pouring their light down through and opening in the ceiling. The silver beam highlighted a table of black stone with a flat top covered in the skins of garlobos - big ones too.

Gently, even reverently, the huntresses removed Sabine's two garments and assisted her onto the table. The furs were warm, as was the stone. The huntresses set aside their weapons and their own garments and gathered in a circle around as two priestesses went to either side of Sabine. In their hands were jars of some kind and brushes. In the light of the full moons, they began to paint her with gray and black paints. When the moonbeams hit the paint, it seemed to shine with eerie light. When it touched her skin, it was warm and tingled and the two priestesses began chant as they worked. Sabine closed her eyes as the soft brushes caressed and painted her sensitive skin, starting with three parallel lines above each eye, gentle brushes beneath each as well. On the sides and front of her neck went a series of flowing lines down to her shoulders.

Sabine's mouth fell open just slightly and a long gasp escaped. The brushes moved down her arms and to the back of her hands. Flowing lines were painted on the insides of her arms and then down her sides, curving inwards to above her hips. Front their, they lifted for a moment, probably gathering more paint for the brushes. They started again at her hips and traced in flowing patterns down her legs, all the way to the tops of her feet. There, they lifted again and Sabine opened her eyes and looked down. The two priestess had switched sides and were lowering their brushes towards her color bones. The lines of paint were drying instantaneously and seemed to be almost glowing in the moonlight.

Sabine gasped as the brushes went from her collarbones down to her ribs and back up to her breasts. Her eyes were shut tight again as they brushed all over her body, all the way down to the inside of her thighs. After a long pause, she was gently lifted and turned over, lying on her stomach. The brushes went from then insides of her thighs, her buttocks and up her back. All if it, Sabine found highly erotic and she was getting very riled up. The brushes were moving down her legs now and all the way down to her ankles.

She didn't know how long it took for them to finish but when they did and stood Sabine back to her feet, she was very aroused. A single garment was draped over her shoulders and tied around the waist with a leather belt. The two priestesses looked her over and smiled with a mixture of satisfaction. Another came to Sabine. Slowly, she made a statement and then pointed to Sabine. After just a moment, Sabine realized what the woman wanted and repeated it carefully. They went over it again and again until Sabine could say everything without stuttering or struggling, and all the while, she getting increasingly aroused. When the priestess was finished speaking to her, they led her out into the night.

Sabine was led out to a stone pavilion where Ezra, who was painted and much the same way she was. When her eyes fell on him, Sabine felt an unfathomable desire to take him for her own. To claim him and make him hers.

They both stood to either side of a basin of water and to her left and his right, a tall woman stood with a staff and pointed to Sabine. Immediately, she recited what she had been taught. The priestess nodded and said a few phrases before turning to Ezra and doing the same. Eloquently, without a single mispronunciation and with supreme confidence, Ezra spoke his bit.

Sabine bit her lower lip. Ezra's confidence and even his voice were kicking Sabine's already raging libido into lightspeed.

The priestess raised her hands and made a declaration which all those around replied to as one. With that, the priestess took Sabine by hand and placed it in Ezra's.

It seemed to Sabine that an electrical current shot between them and Sabine's legs began to tremble. The priestess spoke and headed towards a temple at the top of one of the tallest temples. Hand in hand, they followed her. It was a long climb and with every step, the paint that covered their bodies, black, gray and blue, seemed to warm and glow and Sabine's arousal continued to grow. At a glance, she was satisfied to see that Ezra was in the very same boat, judging by the tent of his single garment.

When they finally reached the pavilion at the apex of the temple, the priestess lifted her staff and made a loud and long declaration, slamming the butt of the staff on the ground to punctuate her statement. Beams of the moonlight seemed to gather at the head of the staff and then blaze towards Ezra and Sabine. When it finally stopped, they both stood stock still as the priestess turned and strode down the stairs.

The arousal and sexual tension between them was so thick that it was almost difficult to move or even speak. Sabine, moistening her dry mouth, managed to croak, "So... how long should we wait before..."

Ezra cleared his throat and sat down. "It should be a little bit. Most of these last a couple hours at least."

" _What_?" said Sabine, almost in a panic. "I can't last that long! Ezra, I... my..."

Suddenly, the paint on her body shined and her arousal became too much to bare. Ezra stood to his feet and held out his hands. "Sabine, wait..."

But there would be absolutely no waiting. With a moan that was almost a feral snarl, Sabine rushed him, driving him back towards a bed that neither of them had even noticed with a sloppy, burning kiss. At the same time, she grabbed his single garment and ripped it away, trying to get to his rock hardness. The throbbing between her legs demanded it.

Apparently, Ezra was done fighting too as he ripped away her garment, lifted her and threw her down onto the bed. When he took a second to look at her, his surprise at her appearance was easily quashed by his desire. Dark hair, almost fur, was growing on her arms and her back and the backs of her legs. Her very shape was changing.

An ancient legend flashed through his mind - that when the priests were married, they and their partners would turn into the garlobos they revered - human animal hybrids.

"What's happening?" growled Sabine as she leaped and pulled him down above her.

"Old legend;" he said between kisses. "Priests, acolytes and heroes would marry and, during the ceremonies, it is told that they would turn into garlobos, or at least start taking on their traits."

"Oh I see;" Sabine said as she reached between them, grasping his manhood and lining him up. "Stop talking, Bridger. I need this right now."

Growling in a way that was approaching baying, Ezra thrust, causing Sabine to gasp and moan. Her legs wrapped around him and her arms wrapped around him, digging her nails, which had turned into claws, into his back. The pain seemed to galvanize him as he thrust into her again and again.

Later, Sabine would look back on the situation and she would think it wholly bizarre. It wasn't the primal sex and the constant connection between them. It was something else. Perhaps, in this rare situation, Sabine could feel the force and some kind of animalisitic connection between herself and her lover. At the moment, however, the feeling of him grinding repeatedly inside her and his hands and mouth caressing her was filling her mind with pressure. A strong, mind-addling musk permeated the air around them and fueled the desire within her.

With a growl, Sabine trapped Ezra's arms and attempted to roll him over but only succeeded in dumping them both on the fur-carpeted floors. Ezra landed with an _umph_ and before he even had even regained his breathe, she had straddled him and impaled herself upon him with a loud moan. He was still groaning from landing hard on his back when she began to raise and lower herself on his shaft. With a buck and roll, Ezra was back on top and his hips collided with hers again and again. His hands pinned hers beside her head but she didn't care. If anything, the inability to move her arms added another level of eroticism to the whole interaction. She wrapped one of her legs around his hips.

Ezra's mouth was all over her neck, her chest and her breasts, driving her even more crazy. Again, her claws dug into his back and she moaned loudly. His long tongue caressed her hardened tips before his mouth closed over it as he sucked.

"Oh gods!" she gasped. "Ezra!"

Her voice was huskier and raspier than it should be. It was inhuman but she didn't care. All she cared about was the primal dance that she and Ezra were doing together. When the pressure and the pleasure and the hormones and pheromones became too much for them and neither of them could hold back anymore, Sabine wrapped her arms around him and bit his shoulder as a massive orgasm shot through her body. Ezra was right their with her and growled as his own body began to tense and spasm. Both of them lay there for a moment but their desire and arousal was only temporarily sated. Sabine could tell that she wasn't even near done yet. Whatever it was about the ceremony that priestess had performed that caused her and Ezra to act like this, it still made her blood run hot through her veins.

"Okay;" growled Ezra, still looking as though he were part lupine, "I need a drink and to use the 'fresher - that is, a room over there and down a small flight of stairs with a hole in the floor. Be right back."

"I'll be waiting;" said Sabine, turning over on her stomach and gazing at him with a wolfish look.

She waited impatiently for about two seconds before getting up and looking around. Despite the fact that her desire was still raging, she was hungry too. So when she saw the food that had been set out, she didn't care that it was simple fair, fruit and vegetables, nuts and berries and, most appreciated, a plate of cold, cooked meats of some kind. Her nostrils flared and she went and ate several pieces, stopping herself before she gorged on too much. She poured two glasses of the dark, fermented chocolaty drink and, when he returned, handed Ezra one. "Thank you;" he growled, his electric blue eyes glinting and the painted patterns and designs on his naked body still glowing and bright.

"My turn;" Sabine said, "Be ready because when I get back, I'm going to be coming back with everything I have."

Ezra returned her wolfish smile and sipped his drink, enjoying the view of her from behind as she walked away.

By the time she came back, Sabine was shocked to realize that the transformation had grown even more extreme. His snout had grown and sharpened just a little, as had his ears. The blue-black fur now covered his body and when he smiled, fangs gleamed there. Even his legs were now the double bend of a quadruped. Curiously, she looked at herself and gasped. Her own fur was a very dark charcoal gray - almost black. At some point, she would need to ask for details about this but now now.

With the extremes of the changes, her desire grew. Ezra's musk filled her senses and she smiled. "We're married now;" she growled as she stalked towards the bed. "Let's not waste it."

With a playful growl, Ezra rushed towards her and they wrestled onto the bed. With many a growl and a chuckled, the kissed and play-fought for dominance until Sabine lay on her stomach, propped on her elbows and with her legs spread. She looked over her shoulder and growled, "Come get me, Ezra."

She didn't have to say it twice. He was there in a second, lining himself and sliding in. Sabine's moan caused Ezra to move more, retracting and thrusting with his hips while one hand supported himself, the other reached under and fondled her breasts. As he drove into her again and again, he kissed and nibbled the side of her neck, reveling in the sound of her pleasured moans and gasped encouragements.

As his shaft continued to grind against her sweet spot and his hand continued to caress her wherever he could reach her, Sabine's moans began to sound much like the whine of a garlobo. Behind her, Sabine heard Ezra howled and she felt him spasm within her. Heat flooded her body but she wasn't done yet. As soon as he had pulled out, she spun around and grabbed hold of his slightly softening cock and began to stroke. "More;" she whined desperately. "I need more, Ezra."

She opened her mouth and her long, pink tongue stroked him. "Sabine, what the... _guh!_ "

Desperately, Sabine worked over his cock, sucking and licking it until it was hard and ready to go again before she shoved him over and mounted him again, riding him for all she was worth. Her paws pinned him to the bed and her mouth hung open as she continued to driver herself down onto his swollen member. Ezra's hips drove upward to meet her with every thrust, gifting her even more pleasure and causing her tongue to hang out of her mouth and ride her faster and harder, going for her climax.

As it hit her and she howled her climax to the moon and Ezra, her husband, howled his own along with her. Gasping for breathe, she fell next to him. Their lust was finally slaked and their energy was finally spent. Exhaustion hit them and, to their surprise, their muscles ached from all the motion and strain but it was the most satisfying ache that either of them had ever felt.

With a contented sigh, Sabine moved unsteadily to curl in Ezra's arms. "Tail;" he muttered.

"Wha?"

"I'm lying on my tail;" muttered Ezra tiredly.

Sabine shifted and the tail moved out from beneath him. She had to move her own slightly to a more comfortable position before Ezra's strong, black-furred arms wrapped her arms around her. Using the force, he settled one of the furs over them both. As the moons above them began to sink and the eastern sky went from black to silver with the rising sun, they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sabine's eyes fluttered open and she smiled sleepily. She was warm and naked and the fur that was draped over her felt good against her skin - almost as good as the soft flesh and hard muscle of the young man behind her. She hummed with pleasure and a low chuckle followed. Then it hit her and she yelped. "What the hell?" and leaped out of bed, wrapping one of the furs around herself.

Ezra looked at her in confusion. "What? What's wrong?"

"We..." and she licked dry lips. "We had sex last night."

They had both reverted back to being normal looking and that was something, though she had to admit, Ezra was gorgeous with black fur and rippling muscles, not to mention the impressive size of his-

"You're right we did - several times;" said Ezra, contemplatively.

"And that doesn't bother you?" she demanded, rather flustered at the ease with which he accepted the truth.

Ezra sighed and shook his head. "Not at all. Sabine, ever since we met, I thought you were amazing and the longer we worked together, the more I cared about you. There's a reason it was _you_ I was counting on. I knew that you would pull it off. Plus, you were the one that I had wanted to see the most."

Sabine's large, soft brown eyes were gazing at him and a soft blush came into her cheeks. Cautiously, she went back to the bed and sat down, still holding the fur securely around her. "I missed you, you know;" she murmured as he sat up and put an arm around her. "I missed your confidence and your upbeat attitude. I had no idea how much I would until you were gone. I guess..."

Ezra smiled and kissed her. At first, she tensed and it felt like she would resist but then she wrapped her arms around him and leaned into it. When she began to feel arousal squirming in her core again, she separated and asked, "So... how long before the priests or their acolytes come to collect us."

Ezra grinned and said, "They won't. We could stay up here forever - but the full moons end in three more days. They'd even keep bringing us food and whatnot."

Sabine grinned and let the fur slip from around her before kissing him again and allowing him to roll on top of her. His right hand caressed the smooth skin of her waist and hip as she ran one of hers through his black hair and placed one on his strong chest. Her desire and arousal were kicking back in and clearly, Ezra had the same idea if his thick member brushing against her thigh was anything to judge by. "Oh gods, Ezra..." she moaned.

She was practically salivating at the idea of it in between her legs, thrusting into and out of her again and again. But that would wait until they were both riled to the point of desperation. Sabine bypassed his lips and nibbled his ear and neck. In return, he nibbled along her shoulder and down to her collarbone, causing Sabine to gasp and arch her back, begging for more. Ezra was more than happy to oblige, moving down and lavishing her breasts with kisses and running his tongue all over them, tickling the hardened tips with the very tip of his tongue.

Sabine moaned wantonly and thrashed. Her pleasure only increased when two fingers began to caress the velvety lips of her womanhood and focused on the tiny nub of nerves. Sabine clung to his head and gasped and moaned as Ezra kissed his way back up to her lips. Desperation had been reached and she reached down to line him up. With one smooth motion and twin moans of delight, they were joined again. This time, it wasn't the primal instinct-driven, wild and crazy sex of the night before. This was farm more tender and gentle but no less enjoyable. Rather than being desperate, dominating and almost violent, Ezra movements and ministrations were to make sure that she enjoyed this as much as he did. And he wasn't doing a half-bad job either.

"Gods and goddesses above, Ezra Bridger, I love you;" she moaned out.

He stopped and looked down at her flushed face. "Really?"

Vigorously, she nodded. "So much. I love you so much and I missed you so much. Now get moving. We aren't even close to done yet."

Ezra kissed her again, a mind numbing, focus grabbing kiss that filled her entire awareness, almost managing to drown out the absolute pleasure that his thick shaft sliding in and out of her was causing - almost. She moaned desperately into the kiss, never wanting it to end. When he pulled away, Sabine decided that she wanted to be on top and in control. With a grin, she sat up and said, "Lie down. I want to ride you like my life depends on it."

Ezra adjusted and lay back. It was a magnificent sight to behold - Sabine naked above him and all but bouncing up and down on his hardness. One hand was gripping his shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise while another was stretched out as if worried about her balance. Ezra watched in rapture as her perky breasts bounced and jiggle with her movements and reached around to grip the firm cheeks of her backside. The pleasurably pressure intensified to the point where it felt as though something within her would burst and, when it did, the world around her was filled will black and white spots hovering before her eyes. Apparently, however, Ezra wasn't done yet. He sat up and lifted her off the ground. "I though you said we aren't even close to done yet;" he said, the sensual growl reminding her of the transformation that had taken place the night before.

Using the force, he placed a fur hide between Sabine's back and the pillar he pressed her against, slamming into her again and again with greater and greater insistence. Sabine had her arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck, hugging his had to her chests and gasping and moaning, her recent orgasm making her even more sensitive to his rapid penetration.

Neither of them were sure how long he pounded into her body or how many times either of them was driven to sublime completion but when the sun what's at its height, they were both lounging on one of the couches, still naked, still wrapped in one another's arms and breathing heavily. A garlobo skin was wrapped around them and both of them had the most ridiculous smiled of utter satisfaction on their faces. "Hmmm... that was fun;" said Sabine.

"That's an understatement;" chuckled Ezra as he laced his fingers through hers.

They enjoyed the companionable silence for awhile until Sabine's stomach rumbled a little. Wrapping one of the skins around his waist, Ezra extricated himself and went to where the food was. "What would you like?"

Sabine could answer that so many ways and get them going on yet another cycle of wonderful, unbelievably intense sex. But she really was hungry. "A little of everything. I like those little green fruits and the purple vegetables too. What kind of meat is that anyway, or do I want to know?"

"It's a livestock meat imported by a neighboring state. It's my favorite too;" answered Ezra as he brought a large platter of food and two goblets of thick gray liquid.

Sabine pulled a face. "What's that stuff?"

Ezra chuckled. "Trust me, it smells and tastes better than it looks. It's made from a local plant mixed with different fruit pulps."

Sabine tasted it and agreed that it was better than it looked. It was thick and sweet but not overpoweringly so. They ate and talked about what had happened to Ezra since he had arrived. "I woke up with almost nothing but my lightsaber and a few scraps of clothing. They found me in the woods and carried me back, feeding me and taking care of a couple of my injuries. They could tell that I was force sensitive and attuned to it. I put myself in a short healing trance to aid the medicines they put on me. Not only that, I was able to help heal several grievously sick and injured individuals. Since I have fallen from the sky, they came to the conclusion that I was some kind of demigod hero. I helped them end a war with another tribe. I used the force to clear out a mine cave in and other things like that. Since I had no way off planet, I set myself to wait for someone to find me. And you did."

Sabine smiled and snuggled back against him. "What are the people here like?"

Ezra stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "They're religious system is primitive but the people are strong with the force. They have no concept of light or dark sides, only the power they say is given to them by the gods. Some of their legends are pretty strange too. For example, the whole wolf transformation thing - rather than transforming through alchemy of force sensitive plants and the use of as-yet unknown force abilities, they believe that it happened when one of their founding priestesses... um... fell in love and copulated with a force sensitive garlobo. That's why, during full moons, especially when both moons are full, and when the ceremonial paints are used, made from force sensitive plants, and the right words and abilities are used, people turn into the hybrids."

Sabine frowned. "Wow... but why could I change? I'm not force sensitive."

"They're strong in the force;" said Ezra. "So long as you wear that paint, which suits you by the way, very sexy, and if I or any of the other priests speak a blessing, you'll transform into that. So will I."

She smiled and said, "So as long as the moon, or moons, are full, we can have crazy amazing sex like that?"

Ezra grinned. "Basically. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

They remained cuddling for awhile, just murmuring and talking to each other until Ezra said, "We should go back down. There will be a celebration feast for us. The preparations begin as soon as we are done. That, and I'm sure that people will be anxious to get back to coming to me for help and mediation and whatnot."

"What will I do?"

Ezra smiled and said, "Essentially whatever you want. You can join, or lead, the hunting groups, go on recon missions with scout groups or join the warriors in patrols or raids. Or, you can chill at the suite and do whatever. It's up to you. The good news is that we don't even have to decide until our period celebration is over."

"Oh? And how long is our period of celebration?" asked Sabine.

"Seven days, starting with today."

Sabine smiled and kissed him sweetly. After another few minutes, she said, "Time to go and get started on this feast. Um... what about clothes?"

Ezra grinned and stood. "I'll grab them. They're in a wardrobe over there."

Sabine watched him walk, enjoying the view of his muscles and the tight little ass he had. Ezra, probably sensing her examination of him, chuckled as he gathered clothes. They were similar to what they had warn before - the skins of garlobos with the heads serving like hood if they wanted. Sabine's fastened in the front. When they were both dressed, they rapped each other in an embrace and kissed passionately for a few more minutes before, breathless, Sabine pulled away and said, "Okay, let's go back down before we get carried away again."

A great cheer greeted them as they went back down the stares. The priests and acolytes lifted their weapons and chanted while the commoners behind them cheered and danced. The priestess who had performed the wedding ceremony strode up and asked them a question in a grave voice. Ezra, apparently not expecting the question, hesitated before answering. The priestess asked another and Ezra, spluttering slightly with embarrassment and shock at the question as he answered in the affirmative.

The priestess grinned broadly, turned to the people and made a declaration. They all cheered again, even more loudly and exuberantly this time. "What did they ask?" asked Sabine.

"Whether we... uh... did it or not;" said Ezra, still blushing deeply.

Sabine rolled her eyes, "Yeah, like we had a choice with the magic going through us. I'm getting worked up just thinking about it. What was the second thing she asked."

Ezra was shaking his head violently. "What?" asked Sabine.

"If I finished... inside of you. Basically, she wants to know if there is a chance I got you pregnant."

Sabine blushed too and covered her face. "Well that's mortifying. The answer is yes and no at the same time. You fire your torpedo tube into plenty of times but I'm pretty sure I'm still safe from my preventatives. They shouldn't have warn off just yet."

Ezra nodded, still blushing. All around them, the cheering continued and many ran off, getting ready to prepare a massive celebration feast.


	4. Chapter 4

The feasts lasted for seven days. Each day, contests of strength, cleverness and skill were held in Ezra and Sabine's honor. Each night, they would climb the stares to their suite and to their bed. Ezra would speak the words of power and use the force and they would turn into the hybrids and give themselves up to their instinctual, primal urges and desires. When it was finally over, they were shone to what had once been Ezra's home, now turned into a home for two, including a hand made bed with sides on it. "They made us a baby crib?" asked Sabine, somewhat startled.

Ezra chuckled and shrugged. "Apparently, yes. They expect us to get right to it, I guess."

While the idea made Sabine very nervous, she would have been lying if the idea of raising children, especially with Ezra, hadn't pleased her as well. "What are you going to do with your spare time, Sabine?" he asked as he looked over their new furnishings.

Sabine was still looking at the crib as she replied, "Well Ahsoka is still out there. If you can convince them, I'd love to join a group of scouts or whatever to find her."

Ezra nodded, suddenly grim. "That's a good idea. I'll be meeting with the priests and nobles. We'll discuss it then. Will you be joining me or would you rather not?"

Sabine's answer was interrupted by a yawn. Ezra smiled went over to her, kissing her brow. "Take a nap, Sabine. You can join us whenever you're ready."

Smiling, she kissed him and then lay down on the bed, snuggling into the furs. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

It was late when she came to, awakened by Ezra who was slipping into the bed with her. One of his arms wrapped around her and he kissed her neck before settling down to sleep. Sabine hummed with pleasure and snuggled into his embrace as they both drifted back to sleep.

While they were getting ready the following morning, Sabine asked, "What did they have to say about the search party?"

"They said that they would send one out whenever you're ready. One of the priestesses' senior acolytes can speak basic pretty well. She'll help you communicate with the others while you search. They'll also have a map of the area. Oh, by the way, I have something for you."

Ezra went to a cabinet and pulled out a sword. It wasn't a vibrosword, but a regular, fixed bladed weapon. With it was a shield. "I figure that, if you run into trouble, having these will help. You're blasters are in here too if you want them."

Sabine was about to go grab them but then decided that the sword and shield would due just fine. She buckled them on and noticed the mischievous gleam in Ezra's eye. "I know that look;" she said, "what are you thinking?"

"That it really is sad to watch you put clothes on;" he said.

Sabine chuckled and said, "Well when I get back later, you can take them off. Come on. We both have a busy day ahead."

Ezra nodded. When they were ready and had eaten, they walked, side by side, to the main gathering hall at the top of one of the pyramids. There, a party of thirty warriors waited. One of them, a woman who was probably several years older than Sabine, walked over. "I am Kateera, principle acolyte of Mainla, Priestess of the gods. I will assist you with your search and with speaking to the others."

"Thank you;" said Sabine. "I'm ready to leave when you are."

"We will say goodbye to our wives and husbands and then we will go;" said Kateera.

She went over to a tall, slender looking man and kissed him.

Sabine smiled and went over to Ezra. "We'll be back. Love you."

Ezra smiled in pleasure. "Love you too, Sabine. Be careful."

And they were off, climbing down the stairs and heading out of the city. At first, they remained silent, listening to the sounds in the jungles around them. With the thirty-two scouts went over a dozen of the large lupine garlobos. They trotted between them and all around, constantly sniffing and making lowing barking noises. "They are a constant patrol all around our group, even as we travel;" said Kateera. "If any kind of trouble shows up, on of them howls and we all head in that direction."

"Great!" said Sabine. "That's pretty handy."

Kateera frowned. "Handy? What does this mean, Handy?"

"It's another word for useful;" explain Sabine.

"Ah, I see;" nodded Kateera.

They made their way further into the woods, heading towards the crash sight of Sabine's ship - a ship that was blown up now. Shards of metal and duraplast were everywhere at the sight. Sabine couldn't help but think about if Ahsoka had been unconscious in the ship when it blew up but she quickly quashed the thought. It wouldn't get her anywhere and she knew that two escape pods had been jettisoned. She just needed to find the other pod. "Can I see the map?" she asked.

Kateera unrolled it and gazed at it. "I'm guessing everything within the red ink is your tribe's territory?"

"It is so;" said the acolyte.

"I see;" murmured Sabine. "That's a lot of area to cover."

"Yes it is but we have it divided. You see, today and tomorrow, we search from the city to the north eastern border, then down to the great waterfalls here;" she indicated a mark along a weaving line, "and then back to the city."

Sabine nodded. It didn't look like much ground covered but, then again, they were on their feet, not on landspeeders or in airspeeders. "So we can cover that all in two days?"

"Yes. We stop only for meals and to sleep during the nights. They are shorter during this season, which will also help. More sunlight, more time to search."

Sabine nodded. It made sense. "And we keep going out until we cover all the land and then we start again. We do that three times. Each time, another party of hunters or scouts will go out and each will check a different area."

"And after three times?" asked Sabine, already suspecting the answer.

Kateera gave a sympathetic look. "We end the search and assume our lost ones dead. I am sorry."

Sabine sighed. "Well, we'll cross that skybridge when we come to it."

As they searched, Kateera taught Sabine some of their language while Sabine continued to instruct Kateera in basic. They soon found that they had a lot in common. Both were proud warriors of a family of proud warriors. Both of them were competitive and enjoyed participating in contests. Both of them had been reluctant about their husbands. Kateera told Sabine the story of her and her husband. "He was a hunter, providing for his mother after his father died in the war with the Koketi Tribe."

"What tribe is that?" asked Sabine.

"Cave Apes;" said Kateera. "They are a fearsome people who live in the mountains to the east. We were enemies until Azurist Ezra Bridger arrived. He ended the war and brought about a peace that is agreeable to all of us."

Sabine smiled. "He always was a problem solver."

Kateera nodded. It was near midday when they broke and built a fire while some of them killed some of the local game. They roasted it and used wild seasonings of some kind, leaves and seeds pulled right off of the living plants and crushed before being sprinkled on the meat. Looking around, Sabine watched as the hunters milled around, chuckling and chatting together. Some of them were clearly lovers as well, lounging against one another and stealing tiny displays of affection. "Is it common?" asked Sabine.

Seeing what she was looking at, Kateera shrugged. "Yes, it is."

"Do you ever have to worry about them sneaking off to... you know?"

Kateera's blank face reminded Sabine that these people valued chastity until bound in marriage. "Never mind;" she said.

Of course, just then, Kateera seemed to get it. "Oh no!" she said, "Of course not! I mean, I am sure that many are tempted but to do so would be reprehensible to the gods. Is it not so where you come from?"

Sabine shrugged slightly, "No. I mean, there are many societies that still prize chastity but for the most part, it really isn't a value anymore."

"Societies?" asked Kateera, "I thought you came from the land of the gods."

"No, not from the land of the gods. The gods, perhaps, brought us here, Ezra and I but we did not come from their land. You see, before we got here - before Ezra even got here - we knew each other for years. He went missing almost five years ago. I would have searched for him sooner but it was in the middle of war and I knew he would have wanted me to finish what we had started."

Kateera smiled. "It sounds to me like you two fit well together."

Sabine smiled. "We do."

There was a long pause before the acolyte asked the last question she had expected. "How were your nights with the Azurist, Ezra Bridger?"

"Uh... my... my nights?"

"Yes, of course. I remember mine and my husband's nights together. He was very skilled at getting me stirred to the point where when we were joined, he would drive me to completion several times before he was done."

Sabine was open-mouthed shocked at her openness. "What?" asked the acolyte.

"We aren't so open with our relationships where I'm from, I guess."

"Why not? We wed our loves and finally are able to, how did the Azurist say it? Finally able to make love? Why hide it? Why would it be wrong or taboo to talk about it?"

Sabine opened her mouth to answer but, upon reflection, she couldn't find an answer. With a shrug, she said, " I don't know. Don't you and your people have norms that really have no practical reason but it has always been that way?"

Kateera nodded. "I'm sure that all societies do."

Even so, she looked at Sabine expectantly. Finally, and with a deep blush, Sabine said, "He surprised me, to be honest. I wasn't expecting him to be able to hit all of my buttons just right! Besides, the effect of the ceremony made me hypersensitive."

Kateera's eyes grew dreamy. "Ah yes! My husband and I eagerly await each and every night with even just one full moon but on the occasion where both moons are full, it is so much more intense. We would love for hours at a time. It's honestly exhausting but so very worth it."

Sabine agreed. "I don't know what it was but everything about him just became so appealing."

"A musk of pheromones and heightened arousal coupled with the effect of the twin moons and the ceremonial paint - it's a gift from the gods that helps us to be fruitful and multiply."

Sabine nodded and smiled. She didn't know much about the force, or about these peoples and there gods and goddesses but she did sometimes wonder about how the old Jedi could have come to the conclusion that no love, no marriage and no children was in the will of the force. But it didn't matter now. The Jedi were going extinct. As far as she knew, Ezra Bridger and the Alliance hero Luke Skywalker were the only ones left.

"Did he do anything in particular that you enjoyed?" asked Kateera.

"Huh?"

Kateera chuckled and said, "My husband would often pin my hands beside my head while he caressed me. I don't know why but somehow, it made everything so much more intense."

"Ezra just won't stop kissing me - not on the lips. In fact, it's pretty much everywhere else including my lips;" said Sabine before she realized she had even said it.

Kateera nodded. "Sounds exhilarating. Anyhow, let's eat and then we need to move on and cover more ground. We'll eat half of what we have now and eat the rest when we stop for the evening meal."

They ate and drank from a nearby spring before getting on with their search. The day grew warmer and muggier and Sabine wished that she wasn't wearing the fur vest and boots. As they searched, she talked to Kateera and sometimes other hunters as well about their life. One young man talked passionately about their history and the history of the world as a whole. Before they knew it, the time for the evening meal came and they pulled out their cold meat and munched on it as they continued to work. The bones, they through to their garlobos and continued the search until the sun set, at which point, the lit fires in a wide circle and set up camp within it.

Curious about this, Sabine asked, "Why the circle of fire?"

"There are large predators who only come out at night that fear fire. It will be able to slow them enough for our animals to let us know if any are coming;" explained Kateera.

"These garlobos are wonderful things;" said Sabine as she scratched one large lupine head between its ears.

The garlobos was panting and turned its head slightly so that she was scratching a different place. Kateera smiled. "They are. They make it so that we do not need to take shifts as sentries. We can sleep easy since they seemed to always keep watch."

Sabine chuckled and lay back. The garlobo she had been scratching lay next to her, resting its head on her legs with a contented grunt.

* * *

It took them many days to cover all of their land and after they had returned from the first search, they also sent ambassadors to the neighboring nations to ask for news or assistance. The longer she said, the more Sabine's appearance became different. Her hair grew long. Her muscular and well defined body became even more so with the different diet and constant exercise. After only a few months of being there and married to Ezra, something else happened that changed her life.

Sabine had been feeling off all day. She didn't know what it was or why but she was just feeling off. Digging through her survival kit, which had mostly been forgotten, she found the med scanner and scanned herself. The first time, she glanced through the list and her eyes widened at one of the items close to the bottom. Sabine scanned herself a second time and covered her mouth as the same results appeared.

Halfway between terror and absolute joy, Sabine went to where Ezra was trying to settle a dispute between two brothers who were arguing over something or another. As soon as she strode in and stood beside him, Ezra made his determination and then excused himself.

"Is everything alright, Sabine? You seem anxious;" he asked in a low murmur.

Sabine couldn't help but smile widely and yet tremble just a little at the same time while she took his hands. "I'm honestly not sure, Ezra. I've been feeling just a little off so I gave myself a medscan."

Ezra nodded and waited.

Finally, Sabine managed to declare. "Babe, we're pregnant!"

Ezra's electric blues eyes shot wide and his own grin became huge. Right there in front of everybody, he wrapped his arms around Sabine and kissed her senseless. When he let her go, he asked, "Do you want me to announce it or keep it quiet?"

"What will happen if you announce it?" asked Sabine.

"There will be a huge celebratory feast in our honor."

At first Sabine contemplated keeping it to themselves but, after a moment longer of thought, she shrugged and said, "Go ahead."

Still grinning, he took her hand and made a declaration in their strange if beautiful language.

Immediately, everyone responded with a joyous exclamation. Many ran out the entrance and down into the city while priests and priestesses approached and made blessings to them. Within ten minutes, they were alone and could here the announcements going throughout the city.

Sabine grew so full of joy, she grabbed Ezra and kissed him passionately again. "Can we go home?" she murmured between kisses. "I want to have our own private celebration."

Ezra smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "Is sex all you think about, Sabine?"

"It's all I'm thinking about right now;" she replied before kissing him again.

As they headed down the long stairs and across towards their temple, people who saw them and had heard shouted their congratulations. Although he happily replied with thanks, Ezra barely noticed. He was too busy glancing at his wife. They hurried as quickly as they could towards their home at the top of one of the pyramids. "How are you going to keep searching?" he asked as they climbed the stairs.

Sabine didn't want to think about that. She shrugged and said, "I'll help as long as I can."

As soon as they had reach the top, Sabine was on him fast and hard, kissing him and maneuvering them both towards the bed. Ezra lifted her legs up, allowing them to lock around his waist so that he could carry her to the bed. They kissed the whole while and Ezra's hands ran up and down her thighs and gripped her tight rear end. Sabine giggled and said, "You really like my butt, don't you?"

"I like every inch of you. What's not to like?" he rumbled before laying her back on the bed.

While Sabine worked on the side of her loincloth, Ezra undid her vest. In moments, they were naked and on the bed, kissing and rolling around. Giggling between kissed and enjoying the constant contact of naked flesh on naked flash, they fought for dominance until Ezra allowed her to climb on top. The view was always spectacular from beneath her. As they continued to kiss and caress, she ground her slit against his hard, throbbing manhood and shivered and moaned as he prodded her sensitive clit.

Ezra, of course, wanted to make sure she was ready, wanted to make sure that she got as much out of it as he did but judging by how much just brushing herself against him was affecting here, he didn't need to worry about it. Never the less, he rolled her over and began kissing her all over, as was his usual ritual of worshiping her smooth, soft flesh. His lips, his tongue and his open mouth caressed her everywhere; her neck, her shoulders, her upper arms, her collar bones, her chest and all over her plump, perky breasts. Her peaked nipples received many a kiss and a lap with his tongue between being sucked on.

Sabine gasped and giggled. "Enjoy that while you can. When the baby gets here, those are going to be for them."

Ezra chuckled and continued to lavish her body with attention. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Reaching between them, she grabbed his throbbing, rock hard manhood and put him in position at her swollen lower lips. "Right here, Baby;" she gasped. "Hurry up. I need you."

Ezra readily obliged, spearing into her fiercely. Sabine moaned and wrapped her legs around him again, using them to add to his motions and he impaled her again and again on his cock.

The view from above, Ezra decided, was just as glorious as the view from below. One of Sabine's hands was using was of the bed posts to push herself while another had a fist full of the furs they were lying on. Her perky breasts jiggled hypnotically and her cries of pleasure galvanized her husband to thrust into her again and again. The world around Sabine burst into hazy stars as ecstasy flooded her body. But Ezra wasn't stopping. He continued to slam into her, drawing out her climax until she lost all concept of time. When he finally groaned and she felt him pulsing within her body and when he stopped bucking into her and allowed her climax to end, the sensation had almost been enough to make her pass out.

Ezra collapsed beside her and pulled her close, kissing her forehead. "The feast will be ready in a couple hours;" he murmured, setting his chrono to go off before that.

Sabine just hummed an acknowledgement as she slowly began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

The feasts were spectacular, just like the feasts celebrating their marriage ceremony had been. They ate and enjoyed witnessing more games and contests and many gifts were made for them. During the early stages of her pregnancy, Sabine helped with the searches but towards the end of her second trimester, she elected to stay back in the city. The news wasn't good. There was no word from the search parties about Ahsoka. To make things even more discouraging, there was no word from any of the neighboring tribes or nations about her either and there was not sign of the escape pod either. After getting more and more discouraged, Sabine and Ezra concluded that there new life was where they were and accepted it.

As her pregnancy progressed, Sabine began to take pleasure in making sure that Ezra knew that she was going to milk every bit of it. Whenever she was uncomfortable, she would glare at him accusingly. Of course, Ezra knew that she didn't mean any true animosity.

When the day finally came, Sabine was rushed to the hospital, a gray stone building that was, thankfully, not at the top of a pyramid. They placed her on a relatively comfortable table and ushered Ezra out of the way. Ezra himself was a nervous wreck. He paced back and forth and asked one of the attendants, "Is she alright?"

"She will be fine;" assured the young woman. "She is healthy and strong and we have everything ready for her - have had everything ready for months. Now calm down, Azurist. She will call for you soon and you will need to be calm to help keep her calm."

Ezra took a deep breathe and called out to the force to assist him. When Sabine called out to him, he ran over to her and held her clenched fists, kissing her brow and using the force to ease her pain and to ease the anxiety within the two tiny lives within her. In a low voice, he sang quietly. It was a song that one of the priests had taught him to help keep his mind calm and to focus the force. It did help, but it didn't eliminate all pain or all anxiety.

For eleven hours, they struggled together but when it was finally over, both Sabine and Ezra looked at the two beautiful babies and knew that it was all totally worth it. A baby girl and a baby boy were nestled in one of Sabine's arms. They had been cleaned off with soft clothes and slightly warm water and wrapped in furs and blankets. Ezra was dumbstruck by what he saw. In a voice that was near disbelief, he said, "Mira and Caleb."

Sabine smiled and bumped her head against shoulder since both of her hands were holding the babies - a little boy and a little girl.

As they gazed at each other and gazed at the babies, it finally settled on them that, if they never got off of this world, a world that they still didn't even know the name of, they would be content to live out their lives among these wonderful people with their wonderful family.


	5. Chapter 5

**One Year Later**

The alarm went up, waking Sabine and Ezra from their slumber only an hour before dawn. An acolyte came in and shouted frantically and Ezra cursed. "What is it?" asked Sabine as she sat up.

"A ship! A ship just landed near what's left of the wrecked ship!" he said as he struggled into his clothes.

Sabine rolled over and pulled her blasters out of an ornately carved cabinet and went over to a seat next to the babies. Once he was dressed, Ezra looked over at her with concern. "Will you be alright?"

"I have Mira and Caleb. You go. They'll be expecting you."

Ezra ran to her and gave her a quick kiss before following the acolyte to where the warriors and scouts were gathering. They were all armed and looked terrified. "What does this mean, Azurist?" asked one of the priestesses.

"I'm not sure but here's what we will do: spread out and we'll approach the ship from all sides. Keep your weapons ready but do not attack until I give the word."

They hurried through the woods in silence. Barely a rustle being heard. When they reached the landed vehicle, they quickly circled out and moved in. Ezra recognized what it was - a YT-2000 Light Freighter. Reaching out with the force, he sensed a familiar presence. "Pass the word around - unless I call, do not attack. I'm going to go take a closer look."

They nodded and Ezra crept forward. I faint hope was growing within him. The seed of that hope had been planted when they had found no sign of Ahsoka Tano or the escape pod she had used.

As he rounded a hunk of rusting durasteel, he saw a hooded and cloaked figure examining the ground around. "Stand up and turn around slowly;" he commanded. "Lower your hood."

The figure obeyed, standing to her feet and lowering her hood, revealing the orange and white skin, lekku and montrals of a Togruta. She gasped and in a quiet voice, she said, "Ezra?"

"Ahsoka!" he said, smiling widely and rushing towards her.

They hugged tightly and laughed in relief and joy."I've been looking for you for almost two years!"

"I know. Sabine found me and we searched the planet. Turned out, you weren't even on the planet. Wait a second."

Turning to the jungle, Ezra called out that it was all clear. Immediately, the warriors emerged from the jungle, their weapons low but ready. With a quick statement, Ezra announced that Ahsoka was his friend, the one they had been looking for. After a moment of silence, they all cheered and bowed low before swarming them both. "Ezra, what..."

"Don't worry. They won't hurt you;" laughed Ezra as they congratulated him and praised their gods for delivering his friend.

Out of the group came the priests, causing all the others to withdraw. One of them, and elderly man, declared something in their mellifluous language. Ahsoka turned to Ezra who smiled and spread his arms wide. "Welcome to our world. Come on. We'll get you back and Sabine and I will explain everything. I'm guessing there will be a feast too so get ready for that."

As they walked through the forests, Ahsoka smiled at him. "I never knew you were the kind of person for tattoos, Ezra."

"Well it's kinda a cultural thing. Like I said, we'll explain everything. And then you get to tell us what happened to you."

Ahsoka nodded. Ezra smiled as she gasped at the sight of the massive temples. "How did they do all that?"

"They've been here for millennia. They've had plenty of time and, if you couldn't tell, many of them are very strong in the force. Come on. The feast preparations will begin immediately and you and I and Sabine can talk and you'll get to meet Caleb and Mira."

Ahsoka frowned. "Who are Caleb and Mira?"

Ezra just winked and led her towards the pyramid on which his and Sabine's home rested.

Sabine was keeping half an eye on the entrance and half an eye on her two little children who were playing with their toys when Ezra walked in with Ahsoka. Immediately, Sabine jumped to her feet. "Ahsoka! Thank the gods!"

Ahsoka returned her hug fiercely. "I'm so glad your okay."

"You too!" exclaimed Sabine. "I had no idea what happened to you."

"I saw your pod go down towards the planet. From a quick glance, I was sure that the ship was habitable but my trajectory took me away from the planet. Oh my stars! Who are those two amazing little beings?"

Ezra and Sabine smiled proudly and they each scooped one up. "This little guy here is Caleb and that little lady is Mira;" declared Ezra.

Ahsoka's mouth dropped open as she looked between the babies and their parents. "And you two..."

"Yup;" said Ezra, absurdly proud of himself and Sabine.

Ahsoka smiled brightly and went over to them. Little Caleb considered her solemnly until Ahsoka twitched her lekku. Then, he shrieked with delight and reached for one. "These little ones are just precious. May I?"

Ezra handed her Caleb, who had not latched on to her head tail and was considering it as he held it in his pudgy hands. "You have a lot of stories to tell."

"Well let's have a seat and get started;" said Ezra with a smile.

Little Mira began to fuss, pawing at her mother and Sabine winced slightly. "She's hungry. May I?"

"Of course. Go right ahead;" said Ahsoka as she continued to tease little Caleb with her lekku.

"You want anything to eat or drink?" he asked Ahsoka.

"No, I'll save my appetite for this legendary feast you're promising. Now go on! Tell me the story."

"Well I'm sure Sabine told you about Lothal, right? Thrawn attacked and was perfectly willing to shell the planet into a ball of ash and cinders. So after getting captured and summoning the perrgil, they carried myself, Thrawn and the Chimaera out here. I figured they would so I left a message for the Specters. Anyhow, I woke up here with all of these beings. At first, they tried to capture me, though what they were going to do with me, I never found out but when I ignited my lightsaber, they suddenly bowed and started praising me. It took me awhile to learn their language and, until then, we used hand motions and drawn pictures to communicate. It wasn't a bit of fun. Anyhow, then, almost five years later, after I found out that these people seem to think of me as some kind of demigod, sent from the gods and goddesses as a blessing and after helping out the peoples with some of their problems, Sabine shows up."

Sabine smiled from where she was nursing Mira. "The next part is even better."

Ezra chuckled. "Well they didn't quite know what to do with Sabine. She was a traveler from the gods but clearly not a priestess or demigod herself. So the only logical conclusion was that she was a gift from the gods to us, more specifically, me."

Ahsoka laughed and little Caleb giggled too as he gave one of her lekku a squeeze. "Of course. Why else would she be there?"

"So to avoid Sabine being sacrificed to me on a bonfire, we elected instead to get married. I think it was a good idea, myself;" said the young Jedi with a broad grin.

Sabine lifted a hand and said, "Eh... sometimes I still wonder."

"Funny;" groused Ezra before getting back to his story. "So we go through this cleansing process and a ceremony and then get married and have our little honeymoon."

"What? You aren't going to go into the detail of the magic paints and the transformation into wolf-people?" asked Sabine with a raised eyebrow.

"Well no, I really wasn't;" said Ezra, looking uncomfortable.

"I will, then;" said Sabine. "For part of the ceremony, we were bathed in these wonderful salt water springs - three times actually. Then, just before the ceremony, they gave us these - well, they gave me these. Ezra already had them;" and she indicated the intricate paint designs on her arms and face, "and then we had this ceremony. When it was over, a priestess led us to the top of a temple and left us there."

Sabine's and Ezra's deep blushes were not lost on Ahsoka. Clearing her throat, she asked, "And what about the wolf transforming thing?"

To her surprise, the blush deepened and Ezra shrugged uncomfortably. "Well these paints are made of a very force-sensitive plant and the paint is infused even more thoroughly with the force by priests and priestesses. Under the light of at least one full moon and if certain words are spoken and empowered by the force, those who are painted with these paints will take on a lot of the characteristics of the symbolic animal of this tribe, namely the garlobos. You've seem them slinking around, right?"

Ahsoka nodded. "Yeah. They're like Lothwolves, just smaller and I don't sense the force in them."

"Nope. From what I understand, none of them are forceful."

Just then, a group of acolytes and priestesses came in and the priestess in charge made a declaration. Ezra suddenly looked nervous. "Time for our evening cleansing. I'm guessing you'll have to join us, Ahsoka."

"Oh-kay;" she said uncertainly as she handed baby Caleb back to Ezra. "What should I expect?"

"They are going to assume you are a demigod like me - a messenger of the gods or something. They will wash every inch of your body for you. Don't resist, don't protest, just bare it. They won't hurt you and when it's over, you'll actually feel great."

Ahsoka didn't look convinced but she followed along.

They headed down to the salt water hot springs and disrobed. Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest uncomfortably as Sabine and Ezra waded into the water. The acolytes began to wash them with the bark and soft cloths. After just a moment of hesitation, Ahsoka followed in suit. Some of the acolytes gathered around her too, murmuring to one another, seemingly quite fascinated by her orange and white skin. As they washed her, Ahsoka began to enjoy the light tingling that the sudsy sap of the bark seemed to cause. It also smelled quite nice. It had been some time since she had gotten a shower with actual hot water as well. Even so, when one of the young acolytes brushed over her breasts, it still caused the tips to stiffen and peak. She bit her lip to avoid gasping. When they washed the apex of her legs, brushing over her womanhood, she couldn't avoid gasping and saying, "Hey!"

"Easy;" said Sabine soothingly. "They're almost done."

That turned out to be true. Soon, the acolytes led them out of the water and to the white marble structure where they were wrapped in towels to dry. "That wasn't so bad, just a little awkward."

"Yeah, it took some getting used to for sure;" said Ezra.

Finally, the acolytes brought in clothes - the furs of the wild garlobos and they dressed. When all was said and done, they were warm, dry and clothed and the feast was almost ready. "We're going to need to tell them that we're leaving;" murmured Sabine quietly.

Ezra's face fell slightly and he was surprised at the sadness he felt. The planet and people truly had been home for several years now. But of course Sabine was correct.

"I'll announce to all during the feast that Ahsoka is a messenger from the gods, calling us to another place."

Sabine heard the sadness in his voice. Smiling sympathetically, she hugged him and said, "I know. It's not easy to leave this place. Even I'm a little saddened by it. But it's time to go home."

Ezra smiled and nodded. "I know."

The feast, as expected, was spectacular, with games and competitions and feats of strength, skill and dexterity. Ahsoka watched, greatly impressed. She leaned over and murmured to Ezra, "Just think the number of powerful Jedi would have come from this nation alone. With the number of force sensitives on the planet, it's a miracle and amazing the Emperor never found it."

"Absolutely;" murmured Ezra, shuddering slightly at the though of all the wonderful men and women as inquisitors serving Palpatine.

As the night began to wind down, Ezra stood and got all of the priests, priestesses and acolytes together. In their rich tongue, he declared that Ahsoka had come as a messenger from the gods and required that they return. His voice was choked and rough and his eyes glistened with tears. The priests and priestesses were just as heartbroken, many of them rushing forward to embrace him, weeping and expressing their sorrow. With many a tearful smile, he promised that he and Sabine would return every so often to make sure that those who had taken such good care of them were still thriving.

The following morning, the ship was loaded down with provision - dried fruits, vegetables, herbs and meat, jars of sealed food and skins of water. It would at least get them to their next stop to resupply with more modern and regular rations. Dressed in modern attire and still covered in their ceremonial paint, Sabine and Ezra held their children and watched out the viewport as the natives who had honored and provided for them sang a traveling song as they took off and headed out of atmosphere. With a smile through his tears, Ezra said, "I forgot how much I loved being on starships. Hey Captain," he called towards the cockpit. "Where to next?"

Ahsoka called back, "Back to real space. Hey, don't worry, you two. I charted as I went. We'd be able to get back here whenever we wanted."

"That's good;" murmured Sabine and she kissed her son. "I want our children to come back here. I think it's too important a part of our history to just forget."

"I told them we'd be back;" said Ezra. "I meant it."

They went back to the front of the ship and watched the stars turn to lines and those lines to the swirling blue tunnel of hyperspace.

* * *

 **Sixteen Years Later**

The planet looked the same as the day they had left. Sabine landed their ship, a modified Amphibious Interstellar Assault Transport. They had noticed as soon as they had come back into orbit near the city that the natives had built a pyramid with a large flat top - presumably to welcome back Ezra and her. As they strode down the ramp with Caleb and Mira in front of them, the people of the city ran up the steps, singing a welcome song. "This is where we were born;" stated Mira.

"That's right, Sweetheart;" said Ezra, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you both sure that you want to go through the ceremony like we did?"

"We do;" said Caleb. "It's in our blood anyway."

A huge feast was held to welcome all of them. The two teenagers went through their first cleansing and, though they came out blushing, they also stood tall, proud to be going through the rituals their parents had gone through.

Three nights later, they were cleansed and painted and joined the acolytes and priests as the transformation took over. While that was going on, Ezra and Sabine were in their pyramid-top suite, taking full advantage of the full moons. The howls of the people and the garlobos went up through the night as life was celebrated on the unnamed planet.


End file.
